Its cheerful, yellow bloom and sweet, fragrance are a delight. It will return year after year, and the clumps will multiply, spreading naturally overtime. A must for any garden, large or small, bringing a sunshine glow to the darkest corner. What's more as with most daffodils they will last for years.

Planting your Daffodils - Points to consider.

For maximum effect daffodil bulbs planted in open ground or in grassed areas, are best planted quite close together, 10cm to 15cm apart. In beds and borders they look best when planted in small groups of about 10 to 12. For pot grown bulbs you can plant even closer at 5cm – 10cm apart. When selecting varieties of daffodils, take note of their height when full grown as there are dwarf varieties available, which are better positioned in the front of beds and borders, or planted in window boxes or small pots.

One point to bear in mind before planting is the amount of light, which will be available come the spring. Too much shade from trees and shrubs could cause the plants to become long, gaunt and spindly. They may then be susceptible to collapse.

Ground preparation.

Daffodils will grow in virtually any type of soil but they perform best in neutral, well drained soils. Heavy clay type soils will need some preparation work, which could include the addition of lime and well-rotted vegetable matter or leaf mould.

The bulbs contain their own store of food, which will be sufficient to support the growing plant and flowers for the duration of their term. However, the addition of a bulb fertiliser containing potash and applied after flowering, will help them to recover and prepare them for future growing seasons.

Planting your Bulbs

Once the number of daffodil bulbs needed has been calculated and purchased it’s best to plant them as soon as possible. The period between mid-September and mid-November is ideal. Avoid planting in frozen ground or when frost is likely.

Most bulbs should be planted around 75mm to 100mm deep ensuring the root end of the bulb is in contact with the soil and then covered with soil and firmly pressed. A hand trowel is the best tool for planting bulbs.